Lectionary Year A
August 1, 1999
Genesis 32:22-31

Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

(JFC) A. COMPARISON OF TRANSLATIONS

These are the places these translations differ from one another. Otherwise, they agree pretty much.
The following Bibles were compared:
Anchor Bible Commentary, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, New Revised Standard Version

Verse	Anchor	Jerusalem	English	NRSV
22	went on ahead	went	went on	passed on
	the gifts	the gift	present	the present
	that night	night	night	night
	in camp	in the camp	at Mahenah
23	in the course of the night	That same night	During the night	The same night
24	all his possessions	all his possessions	all that he had	everything that he had
25	some man	one	a man	a man
26	he could not prevail	he could not master	he could not throw	did not prevail
28	be spoken of	name	name be	be called
	with beings divine	against God	with God	with God
	and human, and have prevailed	you shall prevail against men	and with men, and prevailed	and with humans, and have prevailed
30	You must not ask my name	Why do you ask my name?	Why do you ask my name?	Why is it that you ask my name?
	With that, he bade him good-bye right there and then	And he blessed him there	but he gave him his blessing there	And there he blessed him
	meaning	because	because	saying
31	sciatic muscle	sciatic nerve	inew	thigh muscle

(JFC) B. TEXTUAL CRITICISM

In verse 23, Pentateuchi textus hebraeo-samaritanus adds the article to the word for Jabbok. Some would add an article to the reference for the night in question, as found in 14:22. Such articles are probably not necessary. Perhaps they do add emphasis as if it were needed. Several witnesses would add an additionally inclusive cil to the already cumbersome, et-asher-lo The point is well enough made without any such additions. In verse 30, most manuscripts, Syriac and Vulgate included, add the prepositional "to me" to "tell please (your name)", haggidah-na. Verse 31 gets Pentatacheuchi textus and Symmachus and Syriac and Vulgate redactions wanting to change the iota to a waw in the name paniel. The LXX would read, eidos theou . They apparently want to name the place to represent where God can be seen, observed, etc. Lots of evidence for the alteration. However, it makes better sense in the context of the conversation in the story to retain the received text since it probably is the original.

C. ROUGH TRANSLATION

(JFC)
22 Passed on the gift ahead of him and he spent the night in the encampment. 23 And he arose in that night and took his wives and his servant girls and his teenage child and went over the ford of (the) Jabbok. 24 And he took them to cause them to go over and (with) all he had. 25 And remained alone Jacob and wrestled someone against him until broke dawn. 26 And he saw that not did he have power to strike against him and he struck the joint of the thigh and he dislocated the joint of the thigh of Jacob in the wrestling with him. 27 And he said, "Let go because rises the dawn." And he said, "Not do I let you go unless you bless me." 28 And he said unto him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 29 And he said, "Not Jacob shall you be named but Israel because you have striven with God in spite of your prevailing." 30 And asked Jacob and said, "Tell me please your name." And asked he, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. 31 And declared Jacob, "The name of this place is Piniel because I see God face to face and my soul is delivered."

(AJ)
22 And the gift crossed over/through before him and he lodged that night with the camp.
23 And he arose in the night and he took two of his wives and two of his female servants and eleven of his offspring and he crossed over/through the ford of the Jabbok.
24 And he took them and he caused them to cross over/through the stream. And he caused to cross over whatever (belonged) to him.
25 And Jacob was left behind alone. And a person was wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn.
26 And he saw that he would not prevail to him. And he touched in hollow of his thigh and the hollow of the thigh of Jacob was dislocated in his wrestling with him.
27 And he said, “Let me go!” for the dawn was going up. And he said, “I will not let you go but rather you bless me.”
28 And he said to him, “What (is) your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
29 And he said, “Not Jacob your name will be called yet but rather Israel, for you contended with God and with men and you prevailed.”
30 And Jacob asked and he said, “Tell (me), please, your name.” And he said, “What/why (is) this you ask to my name?” And he blessed him there.
31 And Jacob called the name of the place ‘Peniel’ for “I have seen God face to face and my soul was delivered.”



| Return to gospel listings | Return to epistle listings |
| Return to Old Testament listings | Return to Psalm listings |
| User response form |